Canne et Bâton | Stick fighting – LA CANNE

The double cane is certainly the most spectacular of the « armed » fight sports. In fact, the techniques used are the same as in the single handed cane with a very important notion of speed and movements. The physical engagement is essential and the choreographic aspect is undeniable.

The interest for a beginner is especially to learn to handle the cane with his two hands, while respecting correct positions of guard. The blows are armed same manner that in single handed cane but difficulty lies in the usage of the body to optimize the movements. For confirmed users, the double cane is a discipline which stand by itself, for it does not suffice to mastery any single hand, but as well to use all your body to mark points…

“Canne de Combat” or “Canne d’Arme” , or French cane (French stick fighting) is one of the rare French fight sports. Some even speak of French martial art, even if the codification as a sport does not allow this name officially.

Nowadays we distinguish two different practices of the Canne de Combat: the Canne de Combat for competition, the self-defense (especially with the method « Lafond », the « artistic » cane). The Canne de Combat for competition is discipline associated to the Federation of French Boxing.

The historic of this sport is linked to the French boxing and especially to the usage of the cane by the bourgeois of the 19th century who knew how to defend themselves with a cane. Some of these gentlemen mastered close combat, French or English Boxing, for feet and arms fight, and, for blows at greater distance, the cane with handles.

The cane was, in the hands of the city men, what the stick was in the hands of farm men. In fact, cane and staff always had a very close destiny, in all the countries of the world!
The techniques of Canne d’Arme, which we are talking about, were updated by Maurice Sarry, at the end of the years 1970. He has codified this sport as he wanted to rehabilitate the cane.
Even if in the beginning of the last century, the cane is very used in France (Cf. the famous show “Les Brigades du Tigre”) and the Europeans countries (as well as in India), after the first World War, the practice tends to disappear.

In same way, the staff, taught to the French and American army, as well as the techniques of bayonets, disappears progressively in the same period.

We must not however reduce the history of the cane and stick to this period. Men had always used this tools, which became fearsome weapons in any the countries of the world!

Today, the Canne de Combat of competition, is practiced by a thousand of “cannistes”, just as the French staff, by some hundreds of “bâtonniers” or “bâtonnistes”, children and adults as well.

The French “canne d’arme” (or walking stick) is a wooden (chestnut) stick 95 cm long, with a diameter of 1.5 cm at the tip and 1.8 cm at the base.

In his competition form, it represents 2 assaults of 3 minutes at most, in which two « tireurs » must mark points. The assault takes place in a circle of 9 meters of diameter. Displacements in this circle are very important.

For each movement, note the following principles :

– the cane is held in one hand, near the base (without taking up too much of the stick)
– the movements are full, sweeping movements which are, above all, carried out with the arm fully extended
– the starting position is always « en garde »: the grasp defines the guard (for example: right hand at the base of the cane, right foot slightly advanced), the body facing an imaginary opponent. In this way, each move of the cane implies a transfer of weight either to the front leg or to the back leg (balancing the weight of the body)
– the impact areas are the head, the sides and the tibias; in this case, make a front or back lunge
each movement is made without violence and without force of impact – this is a sport.

The different blows are chained, allowing to create many combinations (circle, change of guard, change in the strike surfaces…)

“brisé” : begins with a vertical flourish. The impact area is above the head. The right arm (for a right guard) produces a forward-rearward piston then forward to touch. The cane turns in the hand and makes a three quarter rotation. It is important to make sure of the vertical trajectory of this stroke.

“latéral extérieur” : is a blow with an horizontal flourish made above the head. The impact area is located on the sides of the opponent’s head. The stroke is armed when the tip of the cane is pointing toward your opponent. The cane is held above the head, with the right hand behind the axis of the shoulders.

for “latéral croisé”, the tip of the cane always points toward the opponent but the arm is crossed in front of the face. For the “latéral extérieur” and the “latéral croisé”, you can touch the right or left side of the head, the sides, or the tibias by lunging.

“Croisé tête” is made with the tensed arm making a left circle to the head of your opponent.

“Croisé jambe” is the same stroke in reverse, aimed at the opponent’s tibia.
Lastly, the “enlevé” is performed with a reverse flourish to the opponent’s tibias.

The blows’s characteristic is that there is systematically a rotation of the canne.

This rotation allows a big impact speed. The goal not to hit strong, but to touch the strike surface.
This sport is very complete, with a quick apprenticeship, and is especially accessible to the children, who find a very playful side in!